Police charge Durham man with DWI in Saturday crash that killed 15-year-old
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- A 15-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car while riding a bike in Durham.
- The vehicle hit the juvenile on Cole Mill Road near W. Wyndham Lane around 8:53 p.m.
- Durham police said an investigation into the fatal crash is ongoing.
Police have charged a 26-year-old man with DWI in a Saturday night crash that killed a 15-year-old boy riding his bike in northwest Durham, court records show.
Joseph Savarino admitted drinking before the crash and faces a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired, according to court records.
Savarino was driving a Ford Explorer northwest on Cole Mill Road just before 9 p.m. when the juvenile “entered his path” riding an e-bike in the same direction, police said in a news release Monday. The juvenile was struck by the car and died on scene, according to police.
Savarino had a blood alcohol level of 0.11%, above the legal limit of 0.08%, court records show.
Judge Kevin Jones set bail for Savarino at $100,000 on Monday afternoon, the documents state. Savarino also surrendered his driver’s license to the court, as required by North Carolina law.
His next court appearance will be May 20 at 8:45 a.m.
Mother: ‘We will never understand’
In a public Facebook post Sunday night, Allison Bickel O’Shea confirmed her 15-year-old son, Jack, was killed while coming home after going on a routine afternoon bike ride with friends.
Jack was “a boy beyond his years, with a faith that was genuine and entirely his own,” she wrote.
“We will never understand why his time here was so short or why he was needed so soon, but we have to hold onto our faith that he is now our angel,” she wrote. “We are better people because of him, and we will carry him with us always.”
Cardinal Gibbons High School — where Jack was a freshman — informed families of his passing in an email on Sunday and held memorial services at the school on Monday.
“He will be deeply missed by his teammates, his teachers, and all who knew him,” they wrote.
Jack’s mother and school administrators said Jack — a member of the Gibbons JV Gold Baseball team — played two Gibbons baseball games on Saturday before riding his bike, which they describe as his “perfect day.”
“His family tells us it was a wonderful day, and we take comfort in that,” school administrators wrote.
The school told families on Sunday that counselors would be available for students in need of support in processing the loss.
A mass of resurrection to honor and celebrate Jack’s life will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Durham. A Celebration of Life will follow the service at Croasdaile Country Club in Durham. All are welcome, according to an online obituary.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made in Jack’s name to: Eno River Association, P.O. Box 71079, Durham, NC 27722.
The investigation into Saturday night’s crash remains ongoing, and as of Tuesday morning no other charges had been announced.
Savarino is the brother of former Duke guard Michael Savarino, who played for the pair’s grandfather and now-retired Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski during his time with the Blue Devils. In 2022, Michael Savarino pleaded guilty to a DWI charge after a traffic stop in Orange County.
Anyone with any information about the crash is asked to call Officer D. Monroe at 919-257-1189 or CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200, or online at durhamcrimestoppers.org. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.
This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 9:56 AM.
